


Forcing A Path

by seki



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 02:49:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12974181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seki/pseuds/seki
Summary: Written for Ignis Fluff Week, Day 2. Theme: Getting into trouble. Prompt: Sneaking out.





	Forcing A Path

This is dreadful.

Ignis frowns at the french window that leads out into the rear gardens. Up until now, it's had no lock, or at least, no lock that couldn't be easily opened from the inside and then left unlatched. But now… there's a keyhole that wasn't there before, and no matter how he jiggles the handle the door just doesn't open.

But he's promised Noctis they'll sneak out tonight. There's going to be a conjunction, according to the paper. Noctis had been so pleased, had hugged Ignis's book of star charts to himself and looked at him with those big trusting eyes.

Ignis just can't let him down. He'll have to find a new route out.

With Noctis obediently following behind, Ignis methodically works his way through all the ground-floor rooms he can easily sneak into. He briefly considers the rubbish chute that leads out of the pantry, but there's no way to get _to_ that with all the night kitchen staff around. And the telescope might get damaged if they do that, anyway.

In the end, they have to climb down from one of the balconies on the floor above. There's a trellis with a climbing rose next to it, and Ignis goes down first to make sure it'll take Noctis's weight. Noctis then lowers the telescope down, on Ignis's whispered instructions, and then scrambles down the trellis and grins at Ignis like this is an even better adventure than usual.

Well then. Good.

"All set? Follow close," Ignis says.

\--

The _balcony_ window has a lock now. Ignis pulls at it, annoyed, and suppresses the urge to jiggle the handle. It'll rattle if he does.

"Again?" Noctis asks, as dismayed as Ignis feels. "You think they're following us?"

"They must be tracking us somehow, yes."

Noctis pouts. "But the newspaper said there'll be a supermoon tonight."

"I know." And honestly, Ignis thinks, that's something they could see just fine from the Citadel. If he can't find a way out, it's not the worst disaster. But he hates to disappoint Noctis. "What other balconies are on this floor? Any you think might have a way we can climb up and down?"

A frown, and then Noctis points over to the western wing. "The guardhouse office?"

Ignis tries to remember it -- ah, yes, of course, it's got that sloping roof outside it. If they're lucky, there'll be delivery crates and they can use those to get up and down. "Let's give it a try, shall we?"

About ten minutes later, and Ignis is _wishing_ he'd found a better solution. The guardhouse is full of, well, guards, and the best way through seems to be to stay low. They sneak along under tables and into shadows, as quietly as they can -- Noctis breathes so _loudly_ , Ignis thinks at one point, that someone will surely hear them -- and find the windows overlooking that roof. Ignis has to give Noctis a little boost to get him onto the ledge.

They have to hide, again, outside, behind a corner, and then Ignis manages to get completely turned around on himself in trying to find a way out into the gardens proper.

It's all worth it, though, even with his bruised shins and snagged nails. Noctis stares at the moon with such awe, such delight, and holds Ignis's hand so _tightly_.

They're less lucky on the way back in. Backed into a corner where they can't avoid being seen, Ignis brazens it out, tells the guards that he and Noctis got lost looking for the kitchens, that Noctis wanted a hot milk.

It works, and Ignis heaves in a sigh of relief. And makes a note not to try _this_ route again.

\--

There's a _meteor_ _shower_ tonight.

Ignis doesn't need Noctis's wide-eyed expression of hope to prompt him; he's already scouted out a few possible routes for future ventures outside. None of them are foolproof, but he's prepared for that. It's also possible there might be snow tonight, which means a change of clothing just in case Noctis gets cold outside, and a soft brush to fluff away their footsteps. Ignis's pack is heavy.

Noctis grabs his hand, as they leave his bedroom. "Not that way," he says, earnestly. "This way."

"But--"

"No, I promise. Dad showed me something. Come on."

Curious despite his misgivings, Ignis follows Noctis to their old playroom. It's cold and draughty, especially in winter, which is why they no longer use the room. Noctis crosses to the fireplace, currently unlit.

"Noct--"

"Shh." Noctis starts pressing the stones at the back of the fireplace. He's getting old ash and soot all over his boots, but Ignis is too busy feeling a stab of interest to care: a secret passage?

The back wall makes a clunking sound, and then a door-shape becomes visible.

"Help me push it," Noctis says, and Ignis obliges quickly. "See? A stairway down."

"Does this… lead out?"

"Dad says so. It's so if we got attacked, I could escape."

"Hm." Ignis pauses; always be suspicious if something seems too good to be true. "When did he tell you this?"

"A few days ago."

Ignis stares at the passage entrance, and shakes his head. It's a trap, then, and they'll be met with someone at the other end who'll sternly inform Ignis that taking Noctis out of the Citadel is dangerous. "Not this time, Noct. Save it for another time. I want to try getting out through the garage tonight."

\--

Noctis's thirteenth birthday, and Ignis has lost count of the times they've snuck out of the Citadel. They've been caught, perhaps a dozen times now, and scolded firmly.

Ignis had once thought that if they were caught, he'd stop helping Noctis get outside. It turned out that it made no difference; Noctis just had to look trusting and hopeful, and Ignis could push aside any feelings of guilt and set about finding new ways to elude their guards.

It's gotten harder, though. Not only are more of the exits locked against them, but they're larger, less able to hide under tables and in alcoves. Just last week, they found that the patrols along the eastern walls had changed patterns, so that they couldn't rely on the old schedules to sneak through. Ignis stole a set of keys, once, but that only worked for a while until their mysterious monitor caught on and had those locks changed.

"I've got an idea," Noctis says. Ignis is staring at the floor plans he has managed to get a hold of, heavily annotated with red Xes for locked doors and green circles for camera systems and blue lines for guard patrol paths. "You trust me?"

"With my life."

It's only once they're back in the old nursery that Ignis clicks. Well. Certainly enough time has passed that this won't _necessarily_ be a trap, and so they might get at least one safe trip through the passageway.

It's very dark in the staircase; Ignis realises, once they start hearing muffled conversations, that the path leads between internal walls, has been quite carefully integrated into the building. Noctis stumbles, once, and Ignis decides to risk a light and uses his phone torch to illuminate their path.

The door at the bottom is stiff, and they both have to set their shoulders to it for it to open.

"We're by the Palace dock," Noctis whispers, somewhat redundantly, as Ignis surveys the room. "We can get out by the eastern--"

A very pointed-sounding cough makes them both turn, to see Cor leaning against the wall next to the exit.

Oh no.

"Uh--" Ignis says, and thinks fast. "We were just exploring the Citadel, and--"

"And happened to stumble on one of the other secret exits? How convenient." Cor sighs. "Ignis, I swear, you're supposed to be _protecting_ the Prince, not putting him in harm."

"It's my fault," Noctis says, immediately, loyally. "I made him do it."

"I don't doubt that."

"We'll go back," Ignis says. "Sorry."

"No, no, I'm assured that the lunar eclipse will be beautiful and I suspect Prince Noctis will be heartbroken if I make you miss it. Just try to stay inside the garden walls, tonight, or I _will_ tell the King that these little expeditions are still ongoing."

"Yes, sir."

\--

Joining the Crownsguard has been tough, even though -- and everyone says it, so it must be true -- Ignis has been groomed and trained for it since his arrival in the Citadel a decade ago. There's a post-exam interview for all members, and Ignis is rather enjoying the way Cor is talking to him as an equal.

"And finally," Cor says, and sighs, "the keys, Ignis."

"Sir?"

"I _know_ you had a copy of my keys made. Hand them over."

Drat. "I don't have them on me, sir."

"Then have them on my desk -- and any other sets you made -- by sundown, please."

Ignis sighs. "Very well."

"Now then, anything else?"

"How do you keep finding out, sir? When we're planning to go out?"

Cor snorts. "Every single astronomical phenomenon is public record, Ignis. It's not hard to guess."

"Oh."

"As for knowing _which_ way you're going, suffice it to say that you've led us a merry dance on a number of occasions and I can only be thankful that it's exposed so many flaws in our security."

Ignis considers that. "Even so--"

"And you've never truly endangered Noctis's life. That's all I'm saying, Ignis. Now go, join the rest of the new recruits."

\--

Noctis claps him on the shoulder, a little awkwardly, in congratulation. "Nice. Now you've got some of my powers, right? You can summon weapons?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then can we try going out further into--"

"Probably not. Cor wants his keys back."

Noctis's face falls. "Shit."

"I _must_ find out his source. He always knows. It's infuriating." Ignis balls his fist, smacks it into the other hand. "Is he spying on us, somehow?"

"If he is, he's been doing it for years." Noctis flings himself onto the sofa nearby. "Damn."

"I suppose it won't be long until you get your own place, anyway. A year. No more need to sneak out after that."

"I know, but it… I'll miss it, you know."

Ignis _does_ know. It's their shared secret, their ritual. It's unfair to have to just give it up like that. But if he doesn't have the keys to get out--

Wait.

"I'm going to take these down, now. And tonight, meet me in that old office, the first one we used, just before midnight."

"...what are you planning?"

"You'll see."

\--

It's so easy. Ignis hands back both of their copied sets of keys, and Cor makes a point of ostentatiously checking the sets for all keys, before nodding. "Good."

"They won't be necessary, soon enough," Ignis says. "Noctis is looking forward to the freedom of having his own place."

"Noctis is now old enough to defend himself, and now you've access to his powers, I'm _far_ less concerned than I once was," Cor says. "Now go on. Off with you, and try to refrain from giving me any more heart attacks while you're still under my roof, will you?"

"Sir."

When Ignis proudly opens the french window in the little office, later that night, Noctis gapes. "But--"

"I might have made a _tiny_ diversion before I gave Cor back his keys," Ignis says, smugly. "Jammed open the lock, so even if someone tried to relock it, it wouldn't work."

"Incredible." Noctis grins up at him. "Where to?"

"Out through the gardens, and into the park?"

"Perfect."

It _is_ nearly perfect, at that. A beautiful night, clear skies, and warm enough to stay out admiring the stars for a whole hour. It's only when they step back into the darkened office, clicking the door closed behind them, that Ignis hears a faint sigh, and the table lamp flares with fire.

"Sir," Ignis says, stepping in front of Noctis instinctively.

" _Really_ , Ignis? After I _just_ got through talking to you about this?"

"I…"

"You know what?" Cor says, his expression very, very weary in the flickering light. "Here."

Ignis just about catches the jangling bunch. "...sir?"

"I officially give up. You're both old enough and strong enough now. I give Noctis into your care, Ignis. Don't get him killed."

Ignis looks down. It's one of the sets of keys they'd had copied. "You're… what?"

"I'm saying, I evidently can't stop you. Despite my best efforts. So that's it. Go. Run rings around my guards. Terrify me with your absences. Just… make sure you bring him home safe, every time."

Ignis straightens his spine. "Always."

Cor nods, and then turns his gaze on Noctis. "And you. You're a terrible influence on him, you know. The Ignis I first met would _never_ have been like this."

Noctis makes an uncomfortable noise.

"But I suppose that's good. He's more loyal to you than to anyone else." Cor stands up; the shadows on his face soften, making him look less drawn and tired. "Go to bed, boys. And try not to sneak out _every_ night, okay?"

\--

It's nearly Noctis's sixteenth birthday. He'll be getting his own apartment. So will Ignis; it's all quite exciting, to be permitted to live independently, like grownups.

Still.

"One last hurrah, while we can?"

Noctis grins at him, and opens the window onto the balcony where the climbing rose grows. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."


End file.
